Cardamom
spice is a highly aromatic spice
that is most commonly used in Eastern,
Arab,
and some Scandinavian cuisines.
Its unique
slightly sweet and savory
flavor allows it to be combined with
both sweet and
savory dishes.
Cardamom
seed's ability to enhance so
many types of food is why it is a
good
combination with a wide range
of other ingredients from seafood to
sauces, to
meats, poultry, vegetables, and even desserts, pastries, and other baked
goods.
Numerous
flavorful little cardamom seeds are encased within a single cardamom pod that
are green in
color when fresh. Cardamom spice has a complex flavor that can
be described as slightly sweet, floral,
and spicy with citric elements.
It
leaves the tongue with a warm antiseptic sensation similar to eucalyptus with
an additional peppery
after taste. Some have described its flavor as spicy
and cola-like. Grind cardamom from one of the whole
forms of the spice to
insure a superior flavor and aroma, both of which are quickly lost when the
spice is pre-ground.
Types of
cardamom
Cardamom
comes in several forms depending upon how
the cardamom seed pods are treated:
Green cardamom
Green cardamom pods are the preferred form of
this spice in
its native country, India. This fancier cardamom has been
picked
while still immature and sun-dried to preserve its
bright green color. Green
cardamom pods are harder to find and
more expensive than the other forms of
cardamom in part
because of their superior ability to retain aroma and flavor
longer. This premium form of cardamom is all
connoisseurs will use in any recipe
which calls for cardamom.
Cardamom seed
Cardamom seeds has had the outer pod, or
cardamom fruit, removed so that
only the pure seeds remain. This form of
cardamom spice is sometimes
called cardamom-decort, which simply means the
seeds have been removed
from the pods, or hulled. The seeds are crushed or
ground prior to use, which
provides plenty of cardamom flavor at a more
economical price, substitute 12
seeds for every whole pod called for in a
recipe.
Black
cardamom
 The black cardamom is the seed pods of
closely related species that also
are aromatic and have an appearance similar
to that of true cardamom.
Although, black cardamom is not a suitable substitute
in recipes that call
for cardamom. Its flavor is much earthier with sweetness
and a flowery
accent that is different from that of true cardamom's. It is an
ingredient
used in some African cooking and abroad to add a bacon like flavor
to some vegetarian dishes.
Ground
cardamom
 The ground cardamom is convenient to have for
baking and other applications
where the spice needs to be ground. Freshness and
thus flavor are of course
compromised when cardamom is pre ground because it
loses flavor soon
after grinding. To appreciate cardamom's true flavor we
suggest grinding
it before use in a spice mill, electric coffee grinder, or mortar
and pestle.
White
cardamom that was commonly available in the North America and
Europe had been
bleached to achieve its color, or lack of it. It is used
in baking and some
desserts because its color helps keep light colored batters, sauces, and confections
speck free. The bleaching process also destroyed much of the cardamom's
flavor
leading to white cardamom's decline in popularity.
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